


Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water

by wildfrancium



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Polyamory, Slow Burn, established keith and shiro, eventual keith and lance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 00:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7553821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildfrancium/pseuds/wildfrancium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Keith falls in love with Lance while also navigating his relationship with Shiro.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water

**Author's Note:**

> Mood for this fic/title came from the Woodkid cover of [Bridge Over Troubled Water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvtYnFJQgtg).

Lance always sang when he was showering. The way their rooms lined up Lance’s shower concerts filtered into the quiet space of Keith’s room. Actually the 95% of his alone time that he spent singing in his room found its way into Keith’s room.

The variety of languages he sang in was what kept Keith’s attention. Some days he’d sing the same song for hours though and Keith was tempted to go over there and bang on the door…

But he couldn’t because then he’d have to admit to hearing other things from Lance’s room. Keith would have to tell him that he could hear Lance talking to himself, pretending to share his day with his family.

It was irritating at first; hearing the sadness in his voice. But Keith knew he had no right to complain. He did the same thing when Shiro disappeared. He’d have conversations all the time of the things he wished he’d said, the things he wished he could say.

So most nights, when Keith was worn out from training or a mission, he’d lay on his back and listen to whatever Lance was talking about. Even through the wall he was animated. His impressions of everyone made Keith smile, even Lance’s super obnoxious squeaky voice that was supposed to represent him. Lance loved sound effects and Keith could guarantee he was acting certain things out. There were moments where he’d pause probably imagining his family’s reaction to his great adventures or inflated ego.

And then there were the softer conversations. Ones were Lance would sigh and murmur little things Keith could barely hear.

There were times when Lance would cry.

Those nights Keith would be transported back to his days training to be a pilot. It had always been his intent, but when Shiro disappeared and they refused to tell him _anything_ , he worked until he’d break down in his room unable to do anything but scream and cry. He had trouble coming down after a rough day of training, but with Shiro gone everything had gone from kind of manageable to hot mess very quickly.

 

Today was a day filled with singing. Lance had gone through his usual playlist, but had now dived into what sounded like show tunes? Keith had never heard the song, as it was with most of Lance’s choices, but the rhythm and theme sounded rather like a musical to Keith.

He was also pretty sure the song was about being a prostitute, but he wasn’t judging Lance’s choice in music.

Keith sat at his small desk listening to Lance sing and tried to picture him dancing. There was no way Lance wasn’t dancing around his room. He was probably leaping off his bed or the desk chair. If his dances of victory during sparring were anything to judge by, then his hips could move. Lance also did a lot of hip thrusting.

The last time Keith had forced to dance was by friends and family at Shiro’s going away party. He hated dancing in public, but it only took him a few minutes to loosen up and immerse himself in the song.

 

There was a knock at his door, jerking Keith out of a light sleep. He’d dozed off at his desk. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, heading to the door.

It was Shiro.

Keith smiled, letting him into the room.

“You haven’t gone to bed? You seemed worn out at dinner,” Shiro commented, sitting on the bed. It was still neatly made and Keith was in his clothes from the day. He hadn’t even taken off his boots. He felt his ears go hot.

“I fell asleep at my desk,” he said sitting in the chair to take off his boots.

“Mmm, I know I pushed you during training today so I’m sorry if that’s affecting your sleep,” Shiro said laying back.

“No. The walk I took helped,” Keith told him. There hadn’t been many bad incidents. Usually if he got too worked up he became more aggressive in his attacks and started yelling at everyone. They’d tell him to calm down and he’d scream more. But he hadn’t picked a physical fight yet. He’d been able to cool off by walking around the castle for nearly an hour.

But sometimes it was so hard to stop. He’d stand there panting, heart racing and chest tight, and be hit with the overwhelming urge to do more. Fight more. Fight harder. Attack until he was broken. Attack until the end.

He’d always been labeled as aggressive, irritable, or heated, but it was becoming harder to control. When he was out in the Red Lion he felt unstoppable. He needed to push his limits because he knew he had more potential. Potential was practically seeping out of him and he was always cut off. 4

“We can talk about it. Like we used to,” Shiro offered.

Keith didn’t answer. He undressed in silence. Like they used to was about two years ago now. The six months it’d taken for him to get to Kerberos. The year he was missing. Their months in space… just about two years.

“I’m okay,” Keith said pulling on a clean shirt to sleep in. Shiro didn’t say anything. Keith knew he wasn’t sure if he should believe him.

Shiro moved so that he was laying on the bed properly and under the covers. Keith climbed in next to him, pressing his face against Shiro’s chest and inhaling his smell just for a moment.

“Do you remember when we danced at your going away party?” Keith asked, settling on his back and looking at Shiro who was on his side with his head propped on his hand.

“Yeah I mean the entire night is kind of blurry, but I remember us dancing with everyone. You always complained even though you were a much better dancer then my brother,” Shiro said with a small laugh.

“He was more confident though,” Keith said.

“You danced all the time when you were little,” Shiro reminded him. Keith rolled his eyes.

“I’m not asking for you to go back that far,” Keith muttered.

“But you were such a cute four-year-old,” Shiro laughed. Keith went full on red. Their age difference only bothered Keith when Shiro brought up something he’d done as a little kid. Something Shiro could remember since he was six years old then Kieth. Back when Keith was star struck by everything Shiro did.

Not that he still wasn’t, but things shifted from Keith loving Shiro like a role model to him actually loving Shiro when he was about fourteen.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro laughed quietly before pressing his lips to Keith’s temple. “Those memories are just the clearest.”

Keith brought a hand up to catch the side of Shiro’s face in the dark. Shiro leaned into his touch, bowing his head down to press his lips against Keith’s. Shiro broke the kiss but hovered just above Keith’s mouth. His breath was warm against Keith’s skin which was suddenly feeling too hot. “I love you,” he whispered against Keith’s lips.

Keith felt happiness surge through him. His heart pounded and his stomach tightened up and he felt like he was ready to burst.

Shiro ran his fingers through Keith’s hair, soothing him knowing he’d wound Keith up. Keith reached over, tangling his hand in Shiro’s shirt. He took deep, even breaths before whispering, “Shiro, I love you too.”

Saying it was electric. He felt as if he could run a mile in a heartbeat. But instead, he forced himself to relax and enjoy the way Shiro’s fingers carded through his hair.

And then Lance was singing again. Soft words came drifting through the walls, the vents. Keith couldn’t make out the words, but he recognized the tune as something Lance had been singing for the past few nights.

It was a nice song. One that made Keith sleepy.

He thought about dancing with Shiro and Shiro’s brother and sister, and his sister… they’d all spent hours playing with each other growing up. He hadn’t talked to any of them after Shiro disappeared. It had hurt too much.

And now he’d disappeared too.

It made his heart ache to think of all the people that had no idea that they were alive. That Shiro was alive. All of Lance’s family who’d clearly been so proud of him. Pidge who’d disappeared long before. Hunk who was so far from home. All of them were in a world that Earth hadn’t even dreamed of. Their families would get dismissive answers from the military.

Lance’s singing drifted off into silence leaving Keith to listen to Shiro’s soft, even breathing. Exhaustion clawed at him as he tried to settle his mind. Shiro’s arm was heavy against his chest. Lance was asleep. Pidge was… well probably not asleep, but Hunk, Allura, Coran; they had to be sleeping.

Everyone was sleeping.

Keith took a deep breath and cleared his mind of the song Lance had been singing, allowing himself to drift off to sleep too.

**Author's Note:**

> Voltron has taken over my life and I've got backstory I want to write for days. 
> 
> Also I just love Keith so much.


End file.
